1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device which holds one or both of a resin visor cover and a resin visor rim that form an outer casing of the door mirror device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional door mirror device 100 for confirming the rear field of vision is illustrated in FIG. 8 in a schematic perspective view. As shown in FIG. 8, an outer casing of the door mirror device 100 is formed by a door mirror visor 102. The door mirror visor 102 comprises a visor cover 104, which forms a front outer casing of the device, and a visor rim 106, which forms a rear outer casing of the device. Accordingly, the door mirror visor 102 formed by two components is used in the door mirror device 100.
In assembling the door mirror device 100, the following method has mainly been employed. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, a resin claw 108 is integrally formed at the backside of the visor cover 104 and a claw-engaging hole 112 is formed at a frame 110 (or at the visor rim 106) disposed between the visor cover 104 and the visor rim 106. A mounting seat 116 with a screw insertion hole 114 formed at a central portion thereof is formed integrally with the visor rim 106. A screw insertion hole 117 is also formed at the frame 110. The visor rim 106 is first fixed to the frame 110 by a screw 118, then the resin claw 108 of the visor cover 104 is elastically engaged with the claw-engaging hole 112 of the frame 110.
However, when a low-cost resin material is used in the aforementioned structure, because the resin claw 108 is formed integrally at the time the visor cover 104 is formed, there is the possibility that the resin claw 108 may be deformed by, for example, the effect of heat or deterioration of the resin material due to age, so that the holding power of the visor cover 104 is lowered. Furthermore, when the holding power of the visor cover 104 is lowered, there is also the potential for chattering to arise between the frame 110 and the visor cover 104 and visor rim 106. In order to prevent heat and deterioration due to age from effecting the resin claw 108, considerable man hours and costs must be expended for dimensional tuning and maintenance of the product.
In view of the aforementioned facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device with which sufficient holding power can be obtained over a long period of time.
A first aspect of the present invention is a structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device, the structure including a resin visor cover that forms a front outer casing of the device and a resin visor cover that forms a rear outer casing of the device and connects to the visor cover, and for holding at least one of the visor cover and the visor rim, the structure comprising: a seat provided at an inner side of at least one of the visor cover and the visor rim; and a clip that is formed separately from the seat, is mounted to the seat, and elastically engages with one of the visor cover, the visor rim, and a frame disposed between the visor cover and the visor rim.
In a case in which the seat is provided at the visor cover, since the seat is provided at an inner side of the resin visor cover which forms the front outer casing of the device, a clip which is formed as a separate part is first mounted to the seat. Then, the clip is elastically engaged with the resin visor rim which forms the rear outer casing of the device or with the frame which is disposed between the visor rim and the visor cover. The visor cover is held in this manner.
In the present invention, since the clip with which the visor cover is assembled to the visor rim or to the frame is formed as a separate part, a material can be selected arbitrarily for the clip. That is, by selecting materials which are hardly effected by heat or deterioration due to age, deformation of the clip can be prevented.
In the structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that the seat has a top wall in which a clip-engaging hole and an assembly notch that communicates with the clip-engaging hole are formed; and the clip has a pair of plates that nip the top wall in a state in which the clip is mounted in the clip-engaging hole.
The present invention is also characterized in that the seat has a hollow, substantially cubic configuration and is structured by side walls that together form a substantially U-shaped configuration when seen in planar cross section and the top wall that joins the upper ends of the side walls.
Furthermore, in the structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that a distance between the pair of plates of the clip is set to be substantially equal a thickness of the top wall of the seat, and that the clip has a mounting portion that connects the pair of plates at a center of the plates.
The present invention is also characterized in that the mounting portion has an outer diameter substantially corresponding with an inner diameter of the clip-engaging hole formed in the top wall.
In the structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device of the present invention, it is preferable that the clip further comprises an elastically deformable claw having a substantially T-shaped configuration when seen in side view, and that the clip is formed by a material having excellent heat resistance and resistance to cracks caused by impregnation of a solvent. The present invention further characterized in that the claw of the clip may be elastically-contracted only in a fixed direction.
An assembling notch is formed at the top wall of the seat. A mounting portion disposed between the pair of plates of the clip is inserted toward the assembling notch. Then, the clip is pressed so as to be mounted to the clip-engaging hole that communicates with the assembling notch. In the manner, the clip is assembled to the seat in a state in which the top wall is nipped between the pair of plates of the clip.
In the structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that a restricting portion that serves as a rotation-preventing function to the clip when the clip is mounted on the seat is provided on at least one of the seat and the clip.
Since restricting portions that prevent the clip, which is mounted to the seat, from rotating are provided to at least one of the seat and the clip, rotation of the clip when the visor cover is assembled to the visor rim or to the frame can be prevented.
In the structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that a restricting portion that serves as a rotation-preventing function to the clip is provided at the top wall of the seat, with the restricting portion abutting sides of the plate that makes contact with an upper surface of the top wall in a state in which the clip is mounted in the clip-engaging hole.
When the clip is mounted to the seat, the restricting portions provided on the upper surface of the top wall of the seat abut both sides of a plate (the plate which abuts the upper surface of the top wall). Therefore, the clip is prevented from rotating. Consequently, rotation of the clip when the visor cover is assembled to the visor rim or to the frame can be prevented. Further, in the present invention, since the restricting portions are provided at the upper surface of the top wall of the seat, neither is it necessary to form undercuts at the part of the seat in the mold of the visor cover, nor is it necessary to give special consideration to removal of the mold.
Further, in the present invention, since the restricting portions are provided at the upper surface of the top wall of the seat, neither is it necessary to form undercuts in the mold of the visor cover, nor is it necessary to give special consideration to removal of the mold.
In the structure for holding a visor for a door mirror device in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that a stopper for preventing the clip from becoming dismounted from the seat is provided at each side of the assembly notch in the top wall of the seat.
The present invention is further characterized in that the restricting portion is a pair of ribs formed parallel to each other at sides of the upper surface of the top wall, and that a distance between opposing inner surfaces of the pair of ribs is substantially equal to a transverse direction dimension of the upper plate of the clip.
The present invention is still further characterized in that a cross section of the stopper has a substantially trapezoidal configuration and the stopper has a tapered surface to serve as a guide when the clip is mounted to the seat.
Since the stoppers, which prevent the clip from becoming dismounted from the seat, are provided at each sides of the assembling notch of the top wall of the seat, inadvertent dismounting of the clip from the seat can be prevented after the clip is mounted to the seat. Thus, it is unnecessary to remount the clip to the seat at the time of assembling the visor cover to the visor rim or the frame after mounting the clip to the seat.